Ceratizit SA, part of the Plansee Group which is headquartered in Austria, has acquired all shares of
AgriCarb SAS. The French privately-owned company based in Meyzieu near Lyon has been the global leader in the field of tungsten carbide agricultural wear parts for over 35 years. Its products for soil and vineyard tillage stand out for their quality and achieve a service life three to seven-times longer than that of conventional steel products.
The acquisition of AgriCarb is seen as an important part of Ceratizit’s growth and sustainability strategy. Dr Andreas Lackner, a member of Ceratizit’s executive board, said: “We want to become the leader in sustainability for the hard metal and cutting tool industry by 2025 and the acquisition of AgriCarb will help us to achieve that goal.”
Making agriculture more sustainableWith increasing restrictions on the use of herbicides in agriculture, the mechanical removal of weeds is coming more and more into focus. Executive board member Frank Thomé added: “AgriCarb offers a wide variety of carbide tools for these and other applications in agriculture. In combination with its focus on premium products, the company is a perfect fit for our overall strategy and corporate culture.”
The experience of the French company also offers Ceratizit the opportunity to enter new markets. Mr Thomé continued: ‘With a high degree of added value and expertise in the field of hybrid tools made of steel and tungsten carbide, AgriCarb is an ideal technological complement to our Hard Material Solutions Division.”
Lionel Curtat, the previous managing director and co-owner of AgriCarb, who will be part of the integration into the Hard Material Solutions Division, said: “I am very pleased to have found a buyer in Ceratizit, whose worldwide distribution network and unique know-how in the manufacturing of hard metals, can help AgriCarb to achieve higher market penetration and further growth.”
Both sides have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.